#78 Team News and Rumors(NOTE: some older links may not work)

MWR to Chevy? Ragan to return? What about Vickers? UPDATE: What in the world will Toyota Racing's Sprint Cup program look like next year? One persistent, hot rumor features a manufacturer swap of sorts, with Rob Kauffman, currently the principal owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, taking his racing interests and partnering with a Chevy team. Furniture Row Racing is currently eyeing the Toyota camp with an ardor that has progressed well beyond flirtation.
Two potential partnerships mentioned for Kauffman are Chip Ganassi Racing and Richard Childress Racing. Ganassi absorbed Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Martin Truex Jr. into the fold back in 2009. RCR expressed interest in acquiring a minority partner after Chartwell Investments expressed a desire to sell its stake in the company in 2012. Kauffman did not offer a definitive reply when asked about a possible realignment.
Furniture Row's Barney Visser has been more forthcoming. The Denver, Colorado-based team owner hopes to make a manufacturer decision in the next few weeks to accommodate a possible restructuring with Toyota for next year.
Although FRR currently receives no financial support from Chevrolet, the team's move could open the door for Kauffman to enter into a technical alliance with RCR, with whom the #78 currently shares data. However, sources told Motorsport.com that Ganassi appears to be the frontrunner for Kauffman's capital at this time.
Michael Waltrip Racing's driver lineup likely hinges on Aaron's continued support with the #55 team. Both Kauffman and Clint Bowyer, who is in the first year of a three-year contract, are high on driver David Ragan. Aaron's has been a sponsor of Michael Waltrip's since 2000 but has yet to renew with MWR. A decision on the company's involvement could come in the next six to eight weeks.
Last week Brian Vickers expressed interest in returning to racing. Given the unpredictability of Vickers situation, Kauffman isn't sure whether they could accommodate the driver. "...The most important thing right now is his health. I haven't really had a conversation with him regarding coming back to racing and the like. It's a big medical issue that I haven't been involved with up until now.," Kauffman said. "He loves racing, so I'm sure he does (want to return), but I think it would be a challenge to try and figure something out--but I would never say never."(Motorsport)(7-23-2015)UPDATE: David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Tuesday that the manufacturer has its sights set on more teams making the 2015 Chase while also looking ahead to its 2016 lineup. Michael Waltrip Racing with Clint Bowyer's #15 team and David Ragan's #55 are the manufacturer's two highest-ranked drivers without wins, sitting 15th and 24th respectively in the standings. Based on points, the #15 driver is currently in the provisional Chase Grid, but if Busch makes the top 30, Bowyer will be bounced without a win. As the manufacturer attempts to add those MWR teams to this year's Chase, Wilson wasn't certain about the organization's future with Toyota.
"We are talking to a number of organizations about the future, and certainly in the near-term, we're not sure what Michael Waltrip Racing is going to do," Wilson said. "They've yet to announce their plans. Certainly we have had a rich history in the sport together. We got our butts kicked together in 2007, our first year, and you forge very close and personal relationships when you have those trials together. Whatever they decide to do, we certainly wish nothing but the best for them."
Wilson has acknowledged discussions with #78 Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser about the Denver-based team's potential manufacturer move from Chevrolet to Toyota. But the TRD president suggested that Furniture Row, like Toyota itself, was focused on its 2015 Chase efforts. "Regarding Furniture Row Racing, again they haven't announced their plans for next year certainly," Wilson said. "I imagine they're focusing on getting Martin Truex well-positioned in the Chase as well and competitive."(NASCAR.com)(7-29-2015)

Toyota talking to additional teams: David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development, told NASCAR Talk on Sunday that the manufacturer does not have any deals with additional teams for next season but is "talking to a couple of teams." #78-Furniture Row Racing team owner Barney Visser has expressed interest in switching manufacturers after this season. "We'd definitely be open to (adding Furniture Row)," Wilson said before Sunday's Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I'd said consistently, particularly with this new Chase format, we could use a couple more quality cars. It's not about numbers. We've got to have quality. We could expand as early as next year if the circumstances present themselves." Wilson said Toyota likely would need to decide by mid-September if it wanted to add a team for next season but added the manufacturer also was considering deals that would begin in 2017. "Because (every team) is structured differently, some of it is looking out at 2017," he said. "The challenge (is) we have this stable of young drivers, and we need to make sure we can keep Toyotas underneath them. It's not good enough to look at just one year out. You need to look at three to five years out and try to position yourself as best you can."(NBC Sports)(7-20-2015)

Sherry Pollex going to Washington to advocate for ovarian cancer research: Sherry Pollex, a longtime champion of pediatric cancer fundraising through the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, is taking on another cancer-related mission. Pollex, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer 11 months ago, will be on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (July 15) on behalf of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. She will meet with Senators and Members of the House of Representatives to discuss ovarian cancer funding and advocate for policies ensuring that cancer patients have access to cancer therapy at affordable out-of-pocket costs. Pollex will advocate for full federal funding of ovarian cancer research and education programs at the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pollex will also advocate on behalf of a bill called The Cancer Treatment Parity Act that ensures women to have access to affordable oral chemotherapy treatments. Oral chemotherapy treatments, unlike traditional intravenous drugs, are not always covered by insurance companies, and many patients are responsible for extremely high and unmanageable co-pays. Pollex, who is the girlfriend of NASCAR star driver Martin Truex Jr. of the Furniture Row Racing team, will be accompanied to Capitol Hill by three members of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance team -- Calaneet Balas (CEO), Jeremy Scott (Policy Counsel) and Lisa Mauti (Vice President of Cause Marketing).(Furniture Row Racing)(7-14-2015)

Furniture Row now aiming for second team in 2017: Furniture Row Racing is having its best season to date with driver Martin Truex Jr. earning 14 top-10 finishes in the first 17 races of the season, which has the Denver, Colorado-based organization looking toward the future. Owner Barney Visser told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Saturday that he would like to have a second team in less than two years. "We'd like to have (a second team) by '17," Visser said. "I doubt that it will happen by '16, but we think maybe '17 it's going to roll around the way we need it to. We're going to have to attract the sponsors. When we finally get the sponsors, we'll be able to do it." Earlier this season, Visser also said his team needed more manufacturer support than Chevrolet was currently providing, and the team had spoken with the sport's other manufacturers, Ford and Toyota.(NASCAR.com)(7-12-2015)

Truex Jr. has hand-shake deal with Furniture Row Racing: #78-Furniture Row Racing has exceeded expectations this season, but it might have a tough time maintaining the continuity next year that has place Martin Truex Jr. second in the Sprint Cup points standings. The big unknown is whether Truex has priced himself out of FRR's range. Truex signed a two-year contract with owner Barney Visser's team in 2014 after Kurt Busch left FRR for Stewart-Haas Racing. His contract expires after the season. "Honestly, I wish my contract was longer before this year started," Truex said. "I have no plans of going anywhere without something crazy happening." Visser has every intention in keeping Truex, but he needs to find another main sponsor. Currently Visser self-sponsors FRR through his two companies, Furniture Row and Visser Precision, LLC. Truex said he has a handshake agreement with general manager Joe Garone that he will return. "I expect it won't be too far out," Truex said of an agreement. "There are some things that the team needs to figure out and get their ducks in a row before we nail down all the details." One option to generate more money to help keep Truex is switching manufacturers. FRR has been the owner of the black Chevrolet 78 car since its inception in 2005. Visser said there hasn't been any money coming from Chevy, and he doesn't see that changing anytime soon. Toyota offered incentives for Visser to make a switch in cars last season, and calls are likely to increase this offseason with FRR's success.(Denver Post)(7-2-2015)

Truex Jr. to make 350th career Sprint Cup start: The success that Martin Truex Jr. and Furniture Row Racing enjoyed in February at Daytona International Speedway to open the 2015 season turned out to be an omen for the single-car team. Truex and his #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevy sent an early message in the three races during Daytona Speedweeks. Truex finished second in the Sprint Unlimited and fifth in the 150-mile qualifying race, both non-points events. He ended Speedweeks with a strong eighth-place result in the Daytona 500. "Those three races during Speedweeks told us that we were on the right course of what we were working on at the end of 2014 and during the offseason," said Truex, who celebrated his 35th birthday on Monday (June 29). "Speedweeks also gave us a big confidence boost to start the season." Truex is off to his best start in the Sprint Cup Series. In the first 16 races he has one win (at Pocono), five top-fives, 14 top-10s and has led 486 laps. He has been second in driver points since finishing fifth at Talladega on May 3. The above performance numbers are a vast improvement for the New Jersey native, who had one top-five, five top-10s and led only one lap in last year's 36-race season. Truex will be looking for another Daytona bounce as he returns to the hallowed superspeedway for Sunday night's Coke Zero 400, which will mark his 350th career Sprint Cup start. He is coming off his worst finish of the season (42nd) after getting knocked off the track and into a tire wall by a fellow competitor at the Sonoma Raceway road course. The incident ended his day early -- on Lap 28 of 110 -- with severe front-end damage to his race car.(Furniture Row Racing PR)(7-2-2015)

Truex Jr.'s #78 car to Carry Special Logo at Daytona: Martin Truex Jr.'s #78 Furniture Row Chevy will carry a special logo as part of NASCAR's Salute to Veterans at Daytona. The logo that will appear on the lower quarter panels of the #78 Chevy will be Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, who participated in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the War on Terror. For their distinguished service as allies of the United States, the Borinqueneers were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Barack Obama on June 14, 2014. "It is our honor to celebrate the heroic contributions of our friends from Puerto Rico for their acts of bravery and fight to preserve democracy," said Furniture Row Racing team owner Barney Visser, a U.S. Army veteran, who served in Vietnam. "To receive the Congressional Gold Medal demonstrates the highest standard of heroism and patriotism that the Borinqueneers have exemplified throughout the history of the 65th Infantry Regiment."
The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by the United States Congress, has been awarded to minority veterans who served in segregated military units, including the Native American Navajo Wind Talkers, the Japanese American Nisei Soldiers, and the African American Tuskegee Airmen.
Rafael A. Fantauzzi, president and CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition stated the following about the Borinqueneers, "For their dedicated service in Korea alone, the Borinqueneers received 10 Distinguished Service crosses, 256 Silver Stars, 606 Bronze Stars and 2,771 Purple Hearts. These brave soldiers overcame the hurdles of segregation and prejudice while protecting our nation's interests and impacting American history and culture."(FRR). See an image of the logo on the car on the #78 Team Schemes page.(7-1-2015)

Truex Jr. comments on wreck at Sonoma: #78-Martin Truex Jr. was involved in an on-track accident on lap 29, when he got together with #55-David Ragan in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, Truex Jr.'s comments:Q) YOU JUST MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE THE CAR BETTER. WHAT HAPPENED?Truex Jr.: "We were going to be okay. It's just a product of restarts here. When you are in mid-pack, it's not a good place to be. It's just really congested. We were a lot faster than a couple of guys around us. You're trying not to get run over. You've got to make moves. Every time I passed the No. 55 (David Ragan), he would just stay on the side of me and not give me three or four inches to get clear, so we can all kind of get going. After the fourth time of doing that, it's just, we both ran out of room and I guess he turned me on purpose. I ran into the side of him first, so I kind of had it coming. But that was an accident. I thought I gave him enough room there, coming out of the esses, and I felt like he probably just turned me on purpose where it happened and how it happened. But, it's just a product of the racing here and we'll go on and do our thing."Q) HOW DID THAT DEVELOP?Truex Jr.: "Just a Sonoma restart, mid-pack, just a lot of congestion. Cars being desperate trying to get some track position. We were just kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time. I kind of had the No. 55 (David Ragan) passed about four times and every time he just didn't really give an inch. I hit him down there in Turn 7 on accident and kind of doored him and I think he got pissed off and turned me on purpose. It's just unfortunate that happened, but that is part of the restarts here and part of the craziness that happens. You have to be up front. We had a decent car. We made some adjustments there and felt like it made a big improvement just didn't get to show it."Q) WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?Truex Jr.: "We got wrecked bottom line. Definitely a tough day. I felt like we had a decent car all weekend. We were off a little bit that first run, made some adjustments, felt like it helped. When you start around 20th on those restarts it is just a recipe for disaster. I was trying to be aggressive, made some moves. I had a couple of cars passed and then the lane I was in jammed up and the guys I had passed got back by me. You just get frustrated, you lose patience and I got into the No. 55 (David Ragan) doors a little bit in Turn 7 and I guess he didn't like it and he figured he would just dump me. He probably has one coming, but other than that it's just part of the restart deal. I hate that I got my guys car tore up."Q) HOW AGGRESSIVE HAS THIS RACE BEEN FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE RACE?Truex Jr.: "It was fine in the beginning. I started in a decent position. I didn't make contact with anyone. Got passed a few times, passed a few guys and you get back there in the 20's and some of those guys' heads come unscrewed. It is just the way it works here."(Team Chevy)(6-28-2015)

No second team for Furniture Row in 2016: Furniture Row Racing currently fields only the #78 Chevy of driver Martin Truex Jr. Speaking Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, Furniture Row Racing general manager Joe Garone indicated there's no rush to add a second team and that the earliest the Denver, Colorado-based organization would likely expand is 2017. "It's still not a priority for us," Garone said. "It kind of falls in getting sponsorship. So while we're working on getting additional sponsorship for the 78 car, we're also working on a second team, but it's really, in priorities, it's funding for the 78, support funding for the 78 and then a second program. So it's not a huge priority right now, especially with the way the 78 has performed this year, and then being in the Chase, we want to keep 100 percent focused on what's ahead of us here. We don't have to have a second team. I think long-term we certainly do, but it's got to come in the right steps." Garone revealed that the addition of a second team could even be three years away. "To add a second team looking at right now, it would be a '17 or an '18 deal, not a '16 deal, absolutely," he said. "It all depends on funding. If a Wells Fargo truck pulled up and dropped enough money, you could probably do it because you could overpower some of the challenges with money, with resources. But that isn't going to happen, so we've got to just lay it out ahead at least a year." As for re-signing Truex, who is in the second-year of a two-year contract with the organization, Garone corroborated his driver's comments from earlier this month that he expects to come to terms with the team on a new deal. "We're starting to get a little bit serious about it," Garone said. "We both have certainly said to each other, 'We want to race together and continue racing,' but we haven't actually sat down and said, 'What's it look like?' There's a timeline for that, and everything's going to be fine. We'll just take it as it comes. Again, we're trying to keep our focus on what we're doing week to week."(FoxSports)(6-28-2015)

14th Top-10 for Truex, Jr.: #78-Martin Truex Jr. charged to a third-place finish and in the process tied a 46-year-old NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record. With the third-place result in Sunday's rain-shortened Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Truex became the first driver to score 14 top-10 finishes in the first 15 races since Richard Petty accomplished the feat in 1969. "Really proud to have my name mentioned next to Richard Petty," said Truex. "The King is pretty special and I am so thankful for my team and what they've done this year. Hopefully we'll keep this thing rolling." Truex narrowed the gap in the driver point standings. He remains second, 15 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.(Furniture Row Racing)(6-15-2015)

Truex, Jr interested in contract extension; team looking at manufacturers UPDATES: Martin Truex Jr. hopes that his success early this season, especially his win Sunday at Pocono Raceway, will spark discussions on a contract extension at Furniture Row Racing. Truex, in the second year of a two-year deal, and team general manager Joe Garone both said Wednesday that while they plan to get a new deal done, they have not talked about an extension because they have been so focused on racing. "We haven't really talked about it," Truex said about a possible contract extension Wednesday during a break in testing at Darlington Raceway. "You know, with the team that we're building, that we've built, I feel like this is the kind of situation that I've really looked for my whole career. ... I hope [the win sparks talks]. I'm ready to go, so we'll have to figure it all out and see what happens with it." Furniture Row appears ready to make sure he doesn't entertain any thoughts of moving and start those talks, especially now that the team has solidified a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. "We've been so busy focusing on what we're doing, we haven't talked about it yet ," Garone said in a phone interview Tuesday. "It's obvious things are working well, and it might be time to start talking about it."(ESPN.com)(6-11-2015)UPDATE: After Sunday's win at Pocono Raceway, Furniture Row Racing wants to lock down its future with driver Martin Truex Jr. The team's manufacturer relationship seems hazier. In a Wednesday interview on Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel, #78 Chevy owner Barney Visser said the team would weigh its options in working on an extension with Truex, whose contract expires after this season. "We're looking for sponsorship," Visser told Sirius Speedway host Dave Moody. "We need to get some of that in place to negotiate the kind of contract (for Truex) that we'd both like to see. It may involve a change in manufacturer here. We're not sure. There just doesn't seem to be any money out of General Motors and probably never will be for us. So something's got to give. We'll see where it goes." Chevys comprise roughly half the 43-car field in every Sprint Cup race, and rival manufacturers Toyota and Ford have indicated a desire to expand their rosters. Toyota Racing Development builds engines for six cars but has the capacity to add two more. Furniture Row Racing has fielded Chevrolets exclusively since entering NASCAR's premier series part time in 2005, currently receiving chassis and engines from Richard Childress Racing since 2013. Furniture Row Racing had preliminary negotiations with Dodge three years ago before its exit from Sprint Cup.(NBC Sports)(6-11-2015)UPDATE 2: For the second consecutive season, Toyota is trying to sign Furniture Row Racing, a team that's fielded Chevys since its inception in 2005. Sources in the Toyota camp confirmed to FOXSports.com that the automaker would like to sign Furniture Row to give it another championship-capable team to go along with Joe Gibbs Racing. The need for another contending Toyota team has increased over the past two seasons, with the fall off in performance of Michael Waltrip Racing, which has not won a race since mid-2013. Last year, Toyota offered Furniture Row incentives to make the change, but the team decided to stay with Chevy for 2015. Now, the push is on to sign Furniture Row to Toyota for 2016, sources have confirmed.(FoxSports)AND: Chevy officials took note this week when team owner Barney Visser broached the subject of a possible manufacturer change for his Furniture Row Racing #78 team. "We don't want to lose them; we've been there with them in every stage of their business and we're very happy to see they are doing that great," Alba Colon, General Motors program manager for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effort said Thursday. It would be disappointing if the relationship with Furniture Row came to an end, Colon said. "We have a good relationship with our teams; we don't want to lose any of our teams. But at the end of the day, outside of the personal side, business is business and manufacturers and teams make the decisions that they think are the best for their circumstances.(NASCAR.com)(6-13-2015)UPDATE 3: Toyota's United States racing boss confirmed that he is indeed interested in signing Furniture Row Racing for 2016, and is looking at some other NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams as well. "We would love to have the 78 team," David Wilson, the president and general manager of TRD, U.S.A., told FOXSports.com Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway. "Who wouldn't really, the way they're running right now? ... If you asked me, 'Would I like to have Furniture Row in the Toyota stable?' Absolutely. Love to. Martin Truex Jr., we go back. That would be a great story." Wilson said he wants to expand the number of contending Toyota teams in the Cup field beyond Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. "I'm always quality over quantity, but we're undersubscribed with quality Toyotas right now," said Wilson. "We've got our eyes open." Asked if Toyota would consider adding teams besides Furniture Row, Wilson said, "There's a couple other teams that are interesting to look at. I don't whether they're available. So many of these things have to do with timing."(FoxSports)(6-14-2015)

A second team for Furniture Row Racing? #78-Furniture Row Racing is enjoying its most successful start to a season in the 10-year history of the organization. Martin Truex Jr. has piloted the #78 Chevy to 10 top-10 finishes in the first 11 races of the year, and sits second in driver standings. This has come with a single-car operation based in Denver, CO. However, Furniture Row general manager Joe Garone says that may change. "Long-term, we're constantly looking for sponsorships to come on the 78 with Furniture Row and also to start a second team down the road to help support the overall effort," Garone said. A single-car team for the entirety of its existence, Furniture Row Racing has finally started to see success under that setup. However, Garone believes if funding was found, there would be few reservations about expanding to a second car. "Being a single-car for so long and now feeling like we're getting it to work really well, you feel like now is the time to go ahead and look at bringing something else on," Garone said. "You feel like you don't have to go through all the learning processes that you go through building a single-car team; you've kind of gone through that. We look forward to going through that process. Again, it all comes down to raising the money," he said. Another key part of the equation would be finding a driver. Garone said the team is not that far along in the process and needs to focus on finding the funding before searching for drivers. "Generally in that process there are companies that have their eye on a driver and the team has an eye on a driver and you kind of combine that together," he said. "When that bridge is crossed, we'll figure it out then." With Barney Visser owning both the team and the sponsor, the organization has been able to field the #78 without an additional major primary sponsor, but Garone says doing that for a second driver would be a challenge.(FoxSports)(5-20-2015)

Furniture Row celebrates race team's 10th Top-10 with sale: When Furniture Row Racing driver #78-Martin Truex Jr. finished ninth in Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway it marked his 10th top-10 result of the season. To celebrate the 10 top-10s in the race team's 10th anniversary in NASCAR, Furniture Row will offer a 10-percent discount on all furniture, accessories and mattresses at its four retail stores - Sofa Mart, Denver Mattress, Bedroom Expressions and Oak Express. The 10-percent sale will commence on Sunday May 10, 2015 and conclude one week later on Sunday May 17. Furniture Row is the owner and exclusive sponsor of the #78 Furniture Row Racing team.(Furniture Row Racing)(5-11-2015)

Three drivers start season with top-ten streaks UPDATES: #78-Martin Truex Jr.'s 7th place finish at Martinsville marked his sixth consecutive top-10 finish. That's the longest top-10 streak to open a season since Greg Biffle scored six top-10s to begin the 2010 campaign (finishing 6th in the standings). Truex isn't the only one though. Points leader #4-Kevin Harvick and #22-Joey Logano also have opened the season with six consecutive top-10s to open the season. The NASCAR record for most top-10 finishes to open a season is 10 set by Lee Petty in 1955 (finished 3rd in the standings) and James Hylton in 1972 (finished 3rd in the standings).(NBC Sports)UPDATE: the record is actually held by Morgan Shepherd, who opened the 1990 season with 11 consecutive top-10 finishes in the #15 Motorcraft Ford owned by Hall of Famer Bud Moore. Shepherd finished with 16 top-10 finishes in 29 races during the 1990 season, finishing 5th in the Championship.(3-31-2015)UPDATE 2: #4-Kevin Harvick, #22-Joey Logano, and #78-Martin Truex, Jr. all continued their top-10 streaks Saturday night at Texas. The streaks are the longest in each driver's career.
Logano has 2 previous streaks of 6 races -- Indianapolis to Atlanta in 2013 and Richmond to Charlotte in the fall of 2014.
Truex, Jr's previous streak is 5 races -- Bristol to Kansas in the spring of 2012.
Harvick has now finished in the top-10 in the last 10 races, starting at Texas last November. Previously he had top-10 streaks of 9 races -- Pocono to Kansas in 2008 and Darlington to New Hampshire in 2013.(4-13-2015)

Another top 10 for Truex, Jr.: A strong team effort propelled #78-Martin Truex Jr. and the Furniture Row Racing team to a sixth-place finish in Sunday's STP 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. It was the sixth straight top-eight finish to start the season for Truex, who set a career best of six consecutive top-10 results. He remains third in the driver point standings as the NASCAR circuit heads into an off weekend for Easter. The top-10 finish also surpassed the five top-10s that Truex posted in 2014, his first season with the single-car Furniture Row Racing team.(Furniture Row Racing)(3-30-2015)

Furniture Row Racing looking for sponsorship, ability to expand: Ever since its formation in 2005, Furniture Row Racing has been a self-sponsored team, with the name of owner Barney Visser's business on the fenders of the team's black #78 Chevy. But that could be about to change. In an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com, team General Manager Joe Garone said the team is actively looking for a primary sponsor for next year, with the eventual goal of becoming a multi-car team. "I think there's a misconception that we're sponsored and we're really not," Garone told FOXSports.com. "Our owner owns a company that sponsors the car, but we really would like to find a partner to come on board with us to be a part of the program. I think it will enhance our team and make it more competitive." Asked if Furniture Row wants to become a multi-car team, Garone said, "Ultimately, absolutely. We'd like to bring some sponsorship on the 78 car and then, obviously, full sponsorship on a second program." Garone said the Denver-based team would benefit from having a second car.(FoxSports)(3-23-2015)

Truex, Jr. ties last year's top 10s: #78-Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth at Auto Club Speedway Sunday. By scoring a fifth straight top-10 finish, Truex, Jr. equaled a career best for consecutive top 10s. The five top 10s to start the season equals the number of top 10s Truex had all of last year, his first season with Furniture Row Racing.(Furniture Row Racing)(3-23-2015)

Four consecutive Top-10s for Truex, Jr.: Four straight top-10 finishes by #78-Martin Truex Jr. is a Furniture Row Racing team record. The previous record of three straight top 10s for a Furniture Row Racing driver was set by Kurt Busch in 2012 and 2013.(Furniture Row Racing)(3-15-2015)

Engine issues with the #31 and #78 in Daytona practice: #31-Newman experienced an engine failure during the 2nd practice for the Daytona 500 on Saturday, some quotes from Newman:THIS PRACTICE SESSION A LITTLE BIT OF WORK FOR YOUR GUYS:Newman: "Something just happened in the bottom end of the motor going into Turn 3. Everything was going as planned until then. The Caterpillar Chevrolet tried to diesel on me and it doesn't like to diesel. We will change the motor, figure out what happened to this one and get ready for tonight with a different race car and qualifying tomorrow."AND #78-Truex Jr.'s Furniture Row Chevy experienced a crack in the oil pan during the second NSCS practice session for the Daytona 500. The team will NOT change the engine.(Team Chevy)(2-14-2015)

Truex's girlfriend passes milestone in cancer recovery: #78-Martin Truex Jr. shared some welcome off-track news during Furniture Row Racing's media session on Thursday morning at the Charlotte Convention Center. Truex's girlfriend Sherry Pollex has been battling ovarian cancer and recently completed her last chemotherapy treatment. "We had a little celebration for her," Truex said. "She's feeling good, and it seems like every day she's getting more back to normal, and it's only been four days. So, hopefully, in the next couple weeks she's going to be back to her old self, running 180 miles an hour. It's been great to see. It's been a tough road, and obviously it's had its challenges. But, all in all, she did an amazing job. She's special. The way she was able to get through it-like no one had ever done before-was inspiring. It's going to make me work harder, that's for sure."(NASCAR Wire Service)(1-30-2014)

Visser Precision Joins Furniture Row Racing as associate sponsor:Visser Precision, LLC, an advanced manufacturing solutions provider utilizing special alloys and proprietary manufacturing methods, joins Furniture Row Racing as an associate sponsor on the team's #78 Chevy, driven by Martin Truex Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Headquartered in a state-of-the-art facility in Denver, Colorado, Visser Precision started to manufacture its products in 2011 for industries ranging from aerospace and defense to luxury goods. Visser Precision operates with cutting-edge technologies in the areas of super alloys, precision machining, amorphous metal casting and 3D metal printing to help solve difficult engineering and manufacturing challenges. Visser Precision is owned by Barney Visser, a Vietnam veteran, who is also the owner of Furniture Row Racing. The company's president is Ryan Coniam, a former race engineer and crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
"This is an exciting move for not only our teammates at Visser Precision but also for our growing list of domestic and international clients," said Coniam. "Visser Precision with its advanced technologies shares many of the same attributes that you will find in the high-tech, competitive world of NASCAR. There is definitely some DNA between the two businesses and we are thrilled to be included with Furniture Row Racing."
Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing, said the Visser Precision name will be positioned on the roof of the #78 Chevy. "We welcome Visser Precision as our new associate sponsor," said Garone. "Visser Precision has a success story that is quite remarkable for such a young company. We are proud to be a partner on the car and in the race shop to help tackle the challenges of NASCAR's competitive sport." Visser precision joins Furniture Row's specialty stores -- Denver Mattress, Oak Express, Bedroom Expressions and Sofa Mart -- as associate sponsors.(FRR)(1-29-2015)

10th Anniversary in NASCAR for Furniture Row Racing: The 2015 season will be Furniture Row Racing's 10th anniversary in NASCAR. The single-car team based in the Mile High City of Denver began its NASCAR career in the Xfinity Series (formerly known as the Nationwide Series) with driver Jerry Robertson qualifying on March 26, 2005 at Nashville Superspeedway. The team's first Sprint Cup race was a few months later (June 5) with driver Kenny Wallace qualifying the #78 Chevrolet at Dover International Speedway. "It's hard to imagine that it has been 10 years," said owner Barney Visser, who defied skeptics by basing his team in Denver, Colorado, nearly 1400 miles from NASCAR's racing hub in Charlotte, N.C. "To be involved in NASCAR has been an exciting time for everyone involved with Furniture Row and Furniture Row Racing." Visser added, "We've enjoyed success over the years and also taken our lumps. But we remain committed as an organization to field a Chase-contending team on a weekly basis." Visser, who is also owner of Furniture Row, one of America's largest family-owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers with more than 330 stores in 31 states, took up auto racing as a driver after semi-retiring from his businesses. He competed at local events at Colorado National Speedway. His passion for motorsports and the marketing potential the sport provided eventually led Visser to NASCAR. Furniture Row Racing has competed in 290 NASCAR races since 2005 --19 in the Xfinity Series (2005 & 2006) and 271 in the premier Sprint Cup Series (2005 to present). Colorado native Jerry Robertson was the team's driver for all 19 Xfinity races and there were seven different drivers who drove the#78 in 271 Cup races -- Wallace (29), Robertson (1), Jimmy Spencer (2), Joe Nemechek (41), Regan Smith (120), Kurt Busch (42) and current driver Martin Truex Jr. (36). The only Sprint Cup team based west of the Carolinas, Furniture Row Racing has qualified for every scheduled Cup race the past five seasons.
Furniture Row's best season was 2013 when it made history by becoming the first single-car team to qualify for NASCAR's postseason Chase playoffs. Busch drove the #78 Chevy that season to 11 top fives, 16 top 10s and finished 10th in the final point standings. The team's first victory was scored by Smith in 2011 at Darlington. Nemechek notched the team's first pole in May 2008 at Talladega. The catalyst behind the growth of Furniture Row Racing since its inception has been the team's general manager Joe Garone, a Denver native, who previously worked as a crewmember in NASCAR and later worked directly for NASCAR at its Research and Development Center in Charlotte. He also served as NASCAR's director of officiating. "To personally see how we've developed over the years has been very gratifying," said Garone. "It all starts at the top and Barney has given us the resources to compete at a contending level. By being based in Denver we had some early logistics to work out. But we figured it out fairly quickly, and right now we're a smoothly run race team, which has been strengthened for the 2015 season."(FRR)(1-29-2015)

Jack Men changes so far in 2015 season: There are a lot of teams making moves in the off season and the Jack Man position seems to be one that is getting a lot of attention. Below is a list of changes for 2015 with more to come.
#5 of HMS replaces Jack Man Trey Burklin with long time HMS Jack Man Eric Ludwig
#9 of RPM replaces Kevin Wing with Gabe Martin from the #10 team
#10 of SHR-We arn't sure about this but we heard Tony Cardamone will be replacing Gabe Martin who is now at the #9
#18 of JGR replacing retired Jeff Fender with David Odell from the #78
#19 of JGR has hired Trey Burklin from the #5
#27 of RCR replacing Carey Wimbish with Sam Abney
#42 of GR is replacing long time Jack Man Mark Jacobs with Mark Janssen
#43 of RPM is replacing Mike Brown with T.J. Ford from the #48
#78 of Furniture Row is replacing David Odell-who left for the #18- with Carey Wimbish from the #27.(Pit Talks)(1-6-2015)

Todd Berrier joins Joe Gibbs Racing: Todd Berrier has joined Joe Gibbs Racing. The veteran crew chief started his new job on Monday and is expected to transition into Jimmy Makar's role. Makar, who has been with JGR since its inception in 1992 as Dale Jarrett's crew chief, is currently the senior vice president of racing operations. JGR president J.D. Gibbs confirmed Berrier's hiring on Thursday but was not certain of his title. Berrier was most recently the crew chief for Furniture Row Racing and the #78 Chevy but transitioned out of his role over the last year. Berrier honed his crew chief skills at Richard Childress Racing starting with truck in 1997. He led Kevin Harvick to the Nationwide Series title in 2001 before graduating to Cup full-time in 2002. Berrier has four Chase appearances, eight Cup wins, six Nationwide Series wins and four truck victories.(Motorsport)(12-5-2014)

Furniture Row Racing Announces New Crew Chief:Furniture Row Racing announced that Cole Pearn has been promoted from lead race engineer to crew chief of the #78 Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Pearn, 32, replaces Todd Berrier, who has been offered a key position to remain at Furniture Row Racing. Joe Garone, Furniture Row Racing's general manager, said the team has also made new hires to strengthen the engineering staff. "In an effort to continue to move the team forward we feel the personnel changes and new additions will yield positive results on the race track," said Garone. "Cole has played a vital role in our growth. The well-rounded skill sets that be brings to the table in his new position as crew chief will he instrumental in our commitment to once again become a Chase participant. As a former racer and an experienced engineer, Cole has a thorough understanding of what it takes to bring us to that level." Pearn initially joined Furniture Row Racing from Richard Childress Racing at the start of the 2010 season. He led Furniture Row's race-engineering staff through mid-year of 2011. He returned to the Denver-based team as the lead race engineer in the middle of 2012. "I am looking forward with a great deal of enthusiasm to continue our work in progress at Furniture Row Racing," said Pearn. "The ownership is 100 percent committed of fielding a competitive team on a weekly basis. We have the resources to be a Chase contender." A native of London, Ontario, Pearn competed as a racer in what is now known as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. He also raced late models and was a three-time Canadian national go-kart champion. Pearn is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario.(FRR)(12-3-2014)

Teams showing support for Pollex at NHMS: NASCAR teams are showing their support for Sherry Pollex this weekend, as #78-Martin Truex Jr.'s longtime girlfriend continues her fight with ovarian cancer. A number of cars at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will feature a teal ribbon with Pollex's name. Teal is the official color of ovarian cancer awareness. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also breaking out his teal racing gloves again. Junior wore a pair last week at Chicagoland Speedway that are currently up for auction on eBay. All proceeds will be donated to an ovarian cancer research charity of Pollex's choice.(FoxSports)(9-20-2014)

Truex, Jr to miss practice and qualifying at Michigan: #78-Martin Truex Jr. will miss Friday's practice and qualifying sessions at Michigan International Speedway. Recently, Sherry Pollex, Martin's longtime partner and girlfriend was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Sherry and Martin would like to thank the NASCAR community for all the well wishes. They have requested that everyone respect the family's privacy as Sherry begins her treatment and recovery. Matt Crafton, reigning Camping World Truck Series champion, will sub for Truex on Friday. Truex will join his Furniture Row Racing team Saturday and compete in Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race. Sherry's passion in life is fighting pediatric cancer. To learn more about Sherry's work with children, go to www.martintruexjrfoundation.org. "Everyone at Furniture Row Racing extends their thoughts and prayers to Sherry during her treatment and recovery period," said Joe Garone, Furniture Row Racing General Manager. "She is a devoted supporter of our race team and we can't wait for her return to the track."(Furniture Row Racing)(8-13-2014)

Martin Truex Jr signs deal to upgrade his Hawker business jet: #78-Martin Truex has signed an order for an upgrade package for his Hawker 400XPR business jet. Delivery is expected to take place in the first half of this year, Beechcraft said. The upgrade package includes winglets, new Williams International engines, a refurbished interior and new exterior paint, aimed to improve performance, operating costs and resale value, Beechcraft said. "I have evaluated many aircraft that have the speed and efficiency to get me to 36 NASCAR events annually," Truex said in a statement. The range, cabin volume, operating costs and support expected from an aircraft partner led him to choose the jet, he said. "The overall value proposition of this aircraft made this a very simple decision for our team," Truex said.(Wichita Eagle)(2-22-2014)

Truex Jr. introduced as #78 driver, but on vacation: Officials from Furniture Row Racing participated in the mid-afternoon session of the 32nd annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. takes over driving duties of the #78 Furniture Row Chevy for the 2014 season. Furniture Row Racing is located in Denver, Colo., and is the only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team headquartered west of the Mississippi. The team is also the only single-car team to earn a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (2013). "I think every team in the garage area, especially with the new format that's coming out, everybody wants to be in that Chase and everybody wants to race for a championship," said Truex Jr. "At the end of the day we all talk about it. That's what we're here for is to race for a championship." Truex Jr. said he's learned a lot about his new team over the off-season that gives him a lot of enthusiasm heading into 2014. "I think that the coolest thing about this team is they're such a close, tight-knit group of guys and they've come so far as a race team," he said. "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to being a part of that and trying to help 'em grow to that next level."(CMS Notes)AND A scheduling snafu had Martin Truex Jr. planning to be on his annual family vacation at the same time Furniture Row Racing expected him to participate in NASCAR's annual media tour. Truex solved the problem Tuesday by using Skype to participate in his new team's news conference. It made for one of the more entertaining moments in the 32 years of Charlotte Motor Speedway's tour as a grinning Truex answered questions from a postcard-like scene in Anguilla. Everyone else was hunkered down in the Charlotte Convention Center awaiting a rare Southern snowstorm. He told his viewers: "It's not snowing and I'm pretty damn happy." Almost on cue, someone's arm appeared in the corner of the screen and handed Truex a tropical drink.(Associated Press)(1-29-2014)

Furniture Row hires Truex, Jr's pit crew as well: Joe Garone of Furniture Row said Friday that the team has hired Martin Truex, Jr's pit crew from Michael Waltrip Racing to pit the team in 2014:IS THE RCR ALLIANCE A MULTI-YEAR THING OR AN INDIVIDUAL YEAR-BY-YEAR? THE TEAM ITSELF, YOU MADE SOME CHANGES AROUND DOVER, CREW MEMBERS, ETC. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU DOING TO STRENGTHEN THE TEAM FOR NEXT YEAR?Joe Garone, General Manager of Furniture Row Racing: "It is a continual process. Our RCR deal is that we do them year-to-year, and that has been a strong program. Richard (Childress) made a commitment to make sure that that program ran as a complete open-book type of relationship, and they have stood by that. It is certainly something that we utilize. But, as Martin said earlier, one of the big advantages that we have as a single-car team with that type of alliance, is our ability to move quick. We are real agile, and focus out in Colorado is 100% is about what we are doing in that shop with a staff of about 60 people, and that makes it really strong. The RCR deal is real important. As far as personnel goes, we've had some struggles, it's not a secret, on pit road. We have been working hard to overcome that. Our pit crew didn't grow as fast as the performance of the car did last year. We've been able to secure Martin's pit crew; actually bring them on-board in full-time positions for 2014. I think that is going to really help that part of our program."(Chevy PR)(11-2-2013)

Truex, Furniture Row still finalizing deal UPDATES: When is a deal with terms acceptable to all parties not quite a done deal? When the parties involved have accepted those terms, but haven't yet put pen to paper to confirm those acceptable terms. Other than that small detail, it's a done deal and in this case, everyone knows it. That's the situation at Furniture Row Racing, the home of Martin Truex Jr. after this NASCAR season. According to knowledgeable sources close to and inside the Denver, Colo.-based Sprint-Cup company, Truex and team owner Barney Visser have agreed to terms. They just haven't gotten around to signing the contract to make it official. Thus the delay in formally announcing what everyone knows is eventually coming. Broadcasters and bloggers have reported for weeks that Truex is going to Furniture Row and the announcement will be made ... well, any day now. Last weekend, at Martinsville Speedway, team general manager Joe Garone said most of the details are done and acceptable to everyone. But he added that Truex has one small detail to clear up before moving forward. "I don't know where people are getting their information," Garone said. "Yes, we've agreed to terms, but we just haven't signed anything yet. The timing isn't a big priority because we know it's going to happen. It might even get done by the end of next week [when the tour is in Fort Worth]."(Autoweek)(10-29-2013)UPDATE: Furniture Row Racing has scheduled a "major team announcement" Friday at 11:00am/et at Texas Motor Speedway.(10-31-2013)UPDATE 2: Furniture Row Racing general manager Joe Garone announced that the Denver, Colo.-based organization has entered into a multiyear agreement with Martin Truex Jr. to drive the team's #78 Chevy, beginning with the 2014 Sprint Cup Series season. "We couldn't be happier to have landed one of the top drivers in NASCAR," said Garone. "Martin's talents - both on and off the track -- have been well documented and everyone at Furniture Row Racing feels that he is an excellent fit to continue the success that we have enjoyed this season."
"Furniture Row Racing has been high on my radar," said Truex. "The team has done a great job this year. It's a talented organization and it has been impressive to see what they've accomplished over the past few seasons. What influenced my decision is team owner Barney Visser and that the team really wants me as its driver. Everything else is important, but I really felt like Furniture Row Racing genuinely wanted me to drive for them."(Furniture Row Racing)AND Michael Waltrip Racing congratulates Martin on his announcement today. We are very happy to see him in a competitive ride next year and appreciate the professionalism everyone showed throughout this entire process.(MWR)(11-1-2013)

Truex looking at 2014 options UPDATE #78 Team: Martin Truex, Jr. has confirmed that he will not return to Michael Waltrip Racing in 2014. "I gave (Michael Waltrip) time to try and work it out and we tried to work it out together," said Truex. "But it's hard to put stuff together at this point of the year. So it's time now for me to figure out what I'm going to do, and figure it out quickly. I'm running out of time." Asked about speculation that he is the heir-apparent to Kurt Busch at Furniture Row Racing next season, Truex insisted, "there is nothing to talk about yet. They've done a great job this year and I'm interested in their program. They're definitely on my radar, but we'll just have to see where it goes." Truex said he has not made any inquiries about returning to the NASCAR Nationwide Series garage, where is a two-time champion, but did not rule out doing so in the future. "I've always loved the Nationwide Series and the time I was able to run there - even part-time while running Sprint Cup at DEI and MWR - was a lot of fun. It's something that I've missed in the past few seasons, and I'd be interested in going back there on a part-time basis (in addition to a full-time Sprint Cup ride)."
Truex admitted that the last few weeks have been among the most difficult of his career. It's been tough here lately, but we'll go back after them this weekend," he said. "All you can do is pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go back and try again. We've had a rough go of it lately, but it could always be worse. Hopefully, out of all this bad stuff that has happened, something good will develop."(Godfather Motorsports)(10-16-2013)UPDATE: Martin Truex Jr. has agreed to drive the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet in 2014. Sources say the parties came to terms on Wednesday night. A formal announcement is expected next Tuesday. In his eighth year as a full-time Sprint Cup driver, Truex has spent the past four seasons driving the #56 NAPA Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. However, MWR's manipulation of the outcome of the Sept. 7 race at Richmond International Raceway and subsequent sanctions from NASCAR resulted in Truex's disqualification from the Chase for the Sprint Cup and NAPA's decision to part ways with the organization at the end of the season.(A HREF="http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/martin-truex-jr-agrees-join-furniture-row-racing-team-2014-leaves-michael-waltrip-racing-101613">Fox Sports)(10-17-2013)

Truex Jr. to Furniture Row? A spokesman for the Barney Visser-Todd Berrier Chevy [#78 Furniture Row Racing] operation says the team is "very hopeful" of signing Martin Truex Jr. to a contract for 2014. Truex was victim of the Richmond (MWR) controversy, first making the championship playoffs in a hard stretch charge...only to be bounced out of the chase and replaced by #24-Jeff Gordon, in the wake of the #15-Clint Bowyer/#55-Brian Vickers flap. Not only did Truex get booted from the playoffs for no fault of his own, his sponsor NAPA is pulling the plug at the end of the season over the controversy. That has many Waltrip people quite worried about their own jobs for next season.(MikeMulhern.net)(10-12-2013)